samba music research

Samba is a Brazilian musical genre and dance style, with its roots in Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions.

Samba style developed in the 1950s in the favelas and includes layering syncopated rhythms on multiple percussion instruments.

Samba Music Research Page

The Carnival of Brazil is an annual Brazilian festival held the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period before Easter.

So, samba is considered music of the common people. Its roots come from old Bahian music and dance styles, like the lundu and jongo, which connect back to the African slaves.

When samba first developed in Brazil, it was looked down upon by the middle and upper classes as uncivilized and wild. Eventually, though, everyone became captivated by it. Many early samba composers were anonymous, but as the music's popularity increased, composers and musicians became stars.

Samba style developed in the 1950s in the favelas and includes layering syncopated rhythms on multiple percussion instruments. Samba has many similarities to African drumming music such as polyrhythms and use of call and response .

In the 1920s, samba became increasingly radio-friendly, with more melody than percussion. It also developed a different format, featuring an instrumental intro, then a verse and chorus, and finally a choro band (which plays an improvised style similar to ragtime).

Stella Hristova